Lost In Wonderland
by PenelopeMoregan1
Summary: I love you," he whispered and kissed my forhead. "Forgive me." I felt a sharp pain in my neck as his fangs sank into my skin. "NO!" I tried to shriek but it was already too late.
1. Prologue

**It starts with a dream. A pleasant dream that transforms itself into a nightmare...**

_  
It's raining outside. I come down the stairs and see my parents in the kitchen ready to go. Mom grabs the keys and an umbrella. I kiss Dad on the cheek and tell him I love him before following Mom out the door._

_We drive in silence. There is never much to say between Mom and I. I like the silence. It gives me time to be alone with my thoughts._

_We are on our way to visit my older brother, Greg, at his new apartment. The rain is pouring harder now than it was when we left. I am staring out my window watching the gray world outside pass by. I glance briefly out the windshield and see head lights in the distance. At first I think nothing of it but then realize that the car heading for us is not on the their side of the road._

_"Mom! Look out!" I scream._

_She swerves at the last minute, missing the other car, but we are not out of danger yet. She hits the brakes but the car does not stop. The car hydroplanes before flipping over and rolling some twenty feet or more down the high way. The windows shatter cutting into my skin._

_Finally, the car stops rolling and we are upside down. I struggle to get my seat belt undone so I can get out of the car. I look over to my mother. Blood is dripping down the side of her face._

_"Mom?" I say._

_No answer._

_"Mom?" More frantically this time._

_Still no answer._

_I hear a siren in the distance. The sound gets closer, then I hear voices. People start trying to get us out of the car. They put a neck brace on my and lay me on a gurney. They do the same to Mom and they wheel us into the back on two separate ambulances and drive us away._

_She's already dead..._

I wake up screaming. My heart races. I cannot seem to breathe in enough air. My father walks in and turns on the light. He sits beside me and pulls me into his arms. He tries to calm me down. But it is too late. I am having an anxiety attack and it is getting harder to breathe. My chest is on fire.

He leave the room only to come back with a glass of water a moment later. He hands me the glass and i gulp it down. The fire in my chest immediately becomes less painful. My breathing becomes easier.

"Another nightmare?" he asks.

I nod.

"Tell me," he says.

"I had a dream that Mom and I were in a car accident and she died," I say.

He hugs me. "Honey, it was just a bad dream. It is nothing to worry about. Just go back to sleep and when you wake up, Mom and I will be here." He kisses my forehead and walks out, turning off the light.

I lay back down and close my eyes. I lay there until it is light enough outside to get up. I look out the window and see that the sky is a dark gray. It soon starts raining. I run down stairs. Mom and Dad are sitting in the kitchen. My heart starts to beat faster and my breathing slowly reaches hyperventilation.

"Sweetie are you alright?" Mom asks me.

"I'm fine," I say. "Mom can we go to Greg's another day?"

"Lily, you've been asking to see your brother for weeks and now you don't want to go?"

"No I do want to go...just not today. Let's go tomorrow or this weekend. Please?"

"Well, I want to see him today. If you want to, I will take you this weekend."

I shake my head. "No, Mom please don't go out today."

She chuckles and kisses my hair before heading out the door. She waves to me from the car as she backs out of the driveway.

That was the last time I saw my mother alive.


	2. A New Beginning

_Dear Diary,_

_Even though it's been a year, I still feel the absence of her everywhere I look. And now my father is gone too. He also died in a car accident. A drunk driver hit him and he died at the hospital. I knew it was going to happen. I had a dream about it the night before it happened. I fear that Greg is going to die next; that I will have a dream about his death and I will be helpless to stop it._

_I am living with Greg now as a result of losing both my parents. I had to leave everything that I know and love behind, but that doesn't bother me. I'd rather they forget me all together._

_I don't know what to do. How do I keep the people I love from dying?_

I closed my diary and stared out of my bedroom window. The sky was a dull gray. It was going to be another rainy day. I set my diary on my nightstand, grabbed my back pack and headed downstairs to find my brother sitting on the couch watching an infomercial. I ignored him and walked into the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and a granola bar and grabbed the car keys off the counter. I threw the keys at my brother when I walked back into the living room.

"Were you planning on taking me to school sometime this morning or were you going to sit in front of the TV all day?" I asked.

He blinked and looked up at me. He stood and walked to the door. We got into the car and he drove to the school in silence. It was my first day at a new high school and I was a little nervous but I wasn't going to let that get the best of me. I was going to try my hardest to keep to myself and not make one friend. I didn't need to worry about whose death I was going to dream about next.

I stepped out of the car when he pulled into the school's parking lot. Greg didn't wish me good luck or say goodbye. He hadn't really been speaking to me since I'd told him about the nightmares. He drove off and I entered the building.

People stared as I walked through the halls. I wore black pants, a black t-shirt, black flip-flops, and I'd dyed my hair black. I wore no makeup to enhance my features. I knew that I could be beautiful if I tried but I was so empty that I never got dressed up anymore. Black had often reflected my mood this past year.

I kept my eyes on the ground as I passed the other students and found my first period English class. I found the class easily and quickly took a seat in the back of the room. The bell rang and the students started filing in one after another. Soon the class was filled with the mindless chatter.

The teacher got up in front of the class and started lecturing. He didn't say anything about having a new student in the class, for which I was thankful. The last thing I wanted was to be forced to introduce myself in front of everyone. He continued talking and I zoned out almost immediately. I pulled out my notebook and started doodling in the margins. The bell rang all too soon and I gathered my things and headed out the door.

"Hey, New Girl, wait up!" someone called. I turned and saw a tall girl with blond hair and bright blue eyes walking toward me. She was dressed in a pink mini skirt and a plain white tee.

"You're Lilith, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"I'm Jennifer. Um, a bunch of us were gonna go get coffee after school and thought maybe you'd like to come?"

"No," I said.

"Why? It'd be a great opportunity to make friends."

"I don't need friends."

"But everyone needs friends," she said.

"Look, Jennifer, no offense but even if I did want friends, they wouldn't be your friends. Bye-bye," I said and stalked off down the hall to my next class, which unfortunately Jennifer was in.

I sat in the back of the room again with my arms crossed over my chest and a dead look on my face. Jennifer didn't speak to me as I'd passed by her and for that I was grateful. Before class started a cute guy with short black hair and vibrant green eyes sat next to me. He wore a tight black t-shirt and dark blue jeans. They way he carried himself just screamed 'dangerous'. And it was kind of sexy. Around his neck was a silver chain from which hung a small dark red stone.

The teacher started to talk and I tried to pay attention, but I kept giving sideways glances at the mysterious boy beside me. The hour seemed to drag on forever. I was glad when the bell finally rang, dismissing class. I didn't know what it was but it was something about that boy that made me feel like I just had to get to know him. Which was stupid because after my father died I began to distance myself from everyone I'd cared about. And now that I was at a new school I definitely didn't want to get close to anyone. I didn't want to start to care because then I knew I'd have a dream about their death and my world would get turned upside down once again. And I didn't think that I could handle that again.

I didn't look at the mysterious boy as I left the room. I just went about the rest of my day and when the time came for school to be over I slipped into Greg's car and went home.


	3. Discovery

I walked to school the next day. Mostly because I knew that Greg didn't like being around me—he already thought I was a freak of nature—and because I hated having to ask for rides to school. I hated having to ask for anything. I was one of those people that preferred to do things on her own without assistance. So I was stuck walking two miles to school and it looked like it was going to rain but I just kept on walking.

As I neared the school I heard a scream somewhere in the distance. At first I didn't think anything of it, that it was just some stupid teenagers playing a trick on someone. Then I heard it a second time. It sounded like it was coming from just behind the woods on the side of the school. I decided to check it out, which was probably the most stupid thing I had ever done.

I pushed the bushes aside and saw two people standing just behind a tall tree. I recognized the girl as Jennifer, the girl who had invited me for coffee yesterday. And the boy was the mysterious black haired guy that sat next to me in my second period class. The black haired boy had his face buried in her neck and Jennifer was trying to push him away weakly.

I gasped and took a step back. A twig snapped under my foot. The black haired boy's head snapped up. Blood was running down his chin onto his black shirt, his green eyes now a deep red. He hissed at me and dropped Jennifer. I backed away, faster now, and he lunged at me. He landed on top of me and held me to the ground.

"Let me go or I swear I'll scream," I threatened. I couldn't look away from those red eyes.

"You can't do anything unless I say you can," he snarled.

I felt something pulling me, almost compelled to listen to him. I blinked a few times and the compelling feeling vanished.

"Let me go or I will scream," I repeated. He sat back, looking slightly confused.

"How did you do that?" he asked.

"Do what?" I said.

"Resist my compulsion?"

"I don't know. I just did. What are you?" He stood up and held out a hand for me. I ignored it and stood up on my own.

"Who are you?" he asked, ignoring my question.

"Lilith," I said.

"Anton."

"Great, now that we've got the introductions out of the way, would you mind answering my first question? What the fuck are you? And is she dead?" I asked, pointing to Jennifer's still body.

"I, dear girl, am what you would call a vampire, and no she's not dead."

I scoffed. "Right. A vampire. Vampires are only myths, legends," I said.

"Wrong," he said. "And to answer your second question, no, she's not dead, just paralyzed. It should wear off in a few moments and when it does, I'll wipe her memory and she'll have no recollection of following me out to the woods. It'll be like waking from a bad dream." He smirked.

"You're crazy," I said. "I'm gonna leave now and if you follow me I swear you'll regret it." I started to walk away.

He was suddenly there to block my way. "And what are you, a weak human, going to do to stop me?" His red eyes bored into mine. I stared back at him defiantly. I felt that compelling feeling again, this time it was stronger, but I refused to give in.

"Would you stop that?" I snapped. "Trying to make people do things that they don't want to do is very rude."

He stepped toward me and though I felt the urge to take a step back, I held my ground. He was suddenly there, so close I wanted to touch him and feel his skin under my hands. But I resisted and crossed my arms over my chest.

"You're not as scary as you're trying to make me believe you are," I said.

He laughed. "Really?"

"Yeah, really." Okay, so I was flirting a little bit and I shouldn't have been. Because sometimes flirting turns into a relationship—not always, but still—and you start to care for the other person. I don't want to care about anyone but myself. That's why I'd been trying to distance myself from my brother.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to try harder then, won't I?" he said, a huge grin spread across his face, his shining white teeth gleamed in the rising sunlight.

"I guess so," I said and stepped around him and headed toward the school. This time, he didn't try to stop me.


	4. Problems

Sitting in second period it was hard to focus. I mean for some strange reason, what I'd seen this morning between Jennifer and Anton didn't bother me as much as I thought that it should. And no sitting in class, it was hard to keep from glancing at him when every time I glanced up he was staring intently at me; his eyes had returned back to their beautiful bright green.

I saw him slide a folded piece of paper onto my desk as I was trying desperately to pay attention. I quickly grabbed it and quietly opened it. It read:

No one has ever been able to resist my compulsion power. How is it that you could?

I don't know how I was able to resist, but I did and if you ever try it on me again you will lose your manhood. And no I will not meet you after school.

I handed the note back to him. He quickly scribbled his reply and I could see that he was trying—and failing—to hide a smile. He handed the piece of paper back to me silently.

Please? I want to know you.

I crumpled the note up, stuffed it in my pocket and tried to concentrate, which was really hard to do when I could feel his vibrant green eyes on my face, but somehow I managed…at least until class was over.

When the bell rang to dismiss class, he cornered me at the door and wouldn't let me pass. The teacher suddenly became intensely focused on some papers he had started grading. I tried to step around him but he just stepped in front of me, blocking me.

"What do you want?" I snapped.

"I want to show you something," he said. He took my wrist and dragged me—well pulled me really—through the halls and through a side door leading outside. He didn't stop until we were in the parking lot. He released my hand and started walking toward a 1965 Shelby Mustang.

"What on earth are you doing driving that thing to school? Are you out of your freaking mind? Aren't you afraid it will get broken into or destroyed or something?"

"No," he said and slid into the driver's seat. "Are you coming?" he called out the open passenger side window.

I stared at the car a moment longer before shaking my head and turning to go back into the school. He didn't follow me. Instead, I heard him rev the engine and drive away.

Class had already started by the time I got there but the teacher went right on with his lesson and pretended as if I hadn't just interrupted class. I took my seat silently, not paying attention the twenty or so pairs of eyes following my every move. I walked home after school ended. Just before I left the school grounds Anton pulled up next to me.

"Need a lift?" he asked with a slight grin on his perfect face. I ignored him and continued walking. I would not let myself get infatuated with him. I hadn't had any dreams in months—not since my father died—and I didn't want to have any more. I pulled out my iPod and turned the volume as high as I could stand it. It was easier to ignore Anton's perfectness and handsomness with Evanescence's "Tourniquet" blaring in my ears. I could tell that he was getting frustrated with me but he just gave up and drove off leaving me to my thoughts.

Why did he keep bugging me? Was it not obvious that I wasn't interested? And what did he want to show me? I had all these questions but no answers. I knew that he wouldn't leave me alone. He didn't strike me as the type of guy who gave up easily. But I, too, didn't give in easily either.

When I got home, Greg was sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Hey," I said as I walked passed him to the kitchen. He didn't respond. I threw my back pack at him with as much force as I could.

He looked up, startled. "What is wrong with you?"

"Me? What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," he said.

"Bullshit!" I screamed. "I know that we haven't been the same since I told you about my dreams but that's no reason for you to treat me like I don't even exist."

"But I thought that's what you wanted? To be left alone?" he said.

"You're my big brother! You are supposed to at least pretend like you care about me even if you really don't."

"I never said that I don't care," he argued.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Really? Because you not speaking to me for the past few months, except when you absolutely had to shows how much you care?"

"What do you want from me? I'm doing the best I can with this, alright? First Mom dies, and then dad, then you reveal to me that you had these visions of them dying. How am I supposed to deal with that? I am doing the best I can!" he hollered.

I rolled my eyes and walked off. He sounded like he was the only one having problems. I mean, _I_ was the one who had the visions of our parents dying horrible deaths, not him and he's trying to make it sound like it was my fault. I went to my room and locked my door. I threw myself on my bed and I cried. I cried and cried and cried. I was a little shocked by this sudden burst of emotion. I had never cried like this. Not at Mom's funeral, or even Dad's.

Suddenly, my head started to hurt, almost like it was on fire. I grabbed at my hair and shook my head back and forth trying to relieve the pain. I saw flashes of something behind my eyelids that I couldn't really identify. It looked like it was a garden. Everything was so green and blurry. Slowly the image became clearer. I was in a garden behind a beautiful castle-looking mansion. Greg was there and for some strange reason I was delighted to see him. I ran toward him and he threw his arms around me and gave me a brotherly hug that I had not had in a very long time. He looked happy again.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Anton smiling at me. He took my hand and pulled me into his arms. He placed his cool lips to mine and kissed me like I was the air and he couldn't get enough of me. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he pulled me even closer.

A scream pierced the perfect scene. Anton released me and I turned to see Greg on the ground, curled into the fetal position, clutching at his stomach. He began to convulse. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and blood started to ooze from them. Then, so suddenly, was he still. No more sound escaped him and he did not breathe. I reached out one dainty hand to stroke his cheek but Anton pulled my wrist back.

"We must go. They have found you," he said.

"Who has found me? Where are we going?" I asked frantically. I didn't get an answer and the vision began to fade. I was back in my room on my bed; the fire in my head was gone.

I jumped up and threw open the door. I flew down the stairs. Greg was still on the couch watching TV. Nothing seems to have changed, I thought to myself silently. But then I realized that something _had_ changed. I hadn't been asleep when I'd had the vision. I had been wide awake.

I slowly returned upstairs and closed my door as quietly as I could. I pulled out a duffel bag from the top shelf in my closet. I then began to pack my clothes. Greg had died in my vision and I was there. Maybe, if I wasn't around, he wouldn't die. He would live the rest of his life in peace. But for him to do that, I had to disappear. I hated having to do this, but I would _not_ lose the only other person I had left in my life. I wasn't sure I could handle it again.

So I walked down stairs and walked right out the front door with my duffel bag on my shoulder. He didn't even look up when he heard the door open. I walked down the street and turned the corner without looking back.


	5. A Brand New World

"And where are you going?" Anton asked.

I jumped and turned, startled. "Don't do that!" I'd made it a little ways past the school before he'd snuck up on me. "And it's none of your business where I'm going."

"Well, I was just curious because it seems to me that you are running away from home," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

I looked away from his too perfect green eyes. "I have to leave," I said solemnly.

"Why?" he said.

I turned and started walking; he didn't need to know my business.

"Wait!" he called after me. He caught up easily and quickly. "Why won't you tell me what's troubling you?"

"Three reasons," I said. "One, I don't know you. Two, you don't know me. And three, it's none of your damn business."

"Well, I'm trying to know you but you won't let me in," he protested.

I whirled around and stepped into him. "I don't want you to know me and I don't want to know you!" I screamed in his face.

"Why not?" he said calmly.

"Because people die around me!" I blurted out before I could stop myself. "Look, just leave me alone." I shoved him aside and began to walk away once again. Maybe this time he would leave me alone.

"I know who you are," he said suddenly.

I froze and turned slowly. "What?"

"I know who you are," he repeated.

I shook my head. "You don't know anything about me. You don't know what I like to do or who my friends are."

"It looks to me like you don't have any friends."

"Because I don't need friends. I am fine on my own."

He sauntered over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me up against his body. "Nobody is fine on their own," he whispered before he smashed his lips against mine. I stood in shock for a moment before relaxing against him. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing but I could feel my arms wrapping around his neck and my legs wrapping around his waist. He pushed me up against the wall of the building. The rational part of me knew that this was wrong, that I didn't want this. But the irrational part of me didn't want him to stop. The feel of his lips felt so good against mine and I felt so safe in his arms—which was really weird since I barely even knew him.

Finally, the rational part of me was able to regain control and I was able to push him away. He set me down carefully and stepped back.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" I yelled.

He smiled. "Oh, come on, you were enjoying it and don't tell me that you weren't because I can see it on your face that you were. Its plain as day." He laughed.

I slapped him and he only laughed harder. The suddenly he got all serious. "You have visions. You saw your mother in a car accident and she died. A few months later you father was in a car accident and died. You saw it happen. And now, you're running away from home hoping that the vision that you had about your brother won't come true."

I stared at him open mouthed. "H-How did you know that?"

"I know a lot of things, Lily," he said. "I know that you don't belong in this world."

I shook my head and pulled my hand back to slap him again. This time he caught my wrist just before my palm made contact with his face.

"Lily, I want to show you something," he said. "Come with me?"

I nodded and he led me deeper into the alley. Soon we were so far down that nobody could have seen us. He put his hand against the brick wall and closed his eyes. At first nothing happened and then a door began to form in the middle of the wall. I gasped and almost stepped back but forced myself to stand my ground. He turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. He took my hand and pulled me through. We stepped into a luscious green paradise. It was a garden behind a giant green castle. The sky was a bright clear blue, not a cloud in the sky.

"Welcome home, Princess," he whispered.


	6. Story

Princess? What the hell was he talking about? I wasn't a princess. I was just a normal sixteen year old girl—okay so having visions of peoples' deaths wasn't exactly normal but still—trying to get through life the best I could. I mean, yes I have wished at times that I was a princess but what girl doesn't wish that?

"Who are you?" I said, backing away from him. The door vanished. I was trapped.

"Lilith, this is your home. This is where you were born. This is the world you belong to," he said.

I shook my head. "I…don't…understand."

"Sixteen years ago the Empress was with child. Her husband had died in a bloody battle between the sorcerers and the vampires—or so the story goes. She had a son by the name of Gabriel, an evil little boy. He was jealous when the Empress had a bouncing baby girl who was prophesized to be destined for greatness. He tried to kill the baby so the Empress sent her to the mortal realm to keep her safe from harm."

"Let me guess; I was that baby girl?"

He nodded.

"And the Empress was my mother?"

"Yes."

"So that would make me a princess…" I let my voice trail off. This was all so overwhelming. I didn't know how I was able to process this new information. I took a deep breath. "What happened to her and Gabriel?"

He sighed. "The Empress hasn't been seen for about two years and people fear that she may be dead but others think that Gabriel has locked her away somewhere in that castle. Speaking of which, we should get out of here." He put his hand on my shoulder and the world fell from under my feet. I felt queasy and nearly collapsed as the world reassembled itself in a second. Anton caught me before I fell to the ground.

"Yeah, teleporting takes some getting used to," he said.

The world was still spinning but the queasiness had begun to fade. "What now?"

"Now…I teach you how to use and control your magic."

"Magic? The only magic I have is foreseeing peoples' deaths."

"Believe it or not, it's a gift."

"It's a curse."

He grabbed my hand and led me into a small cabin. I hadn't even realized that we had somehow ended up in the middle of a forest. The sun was just starting to set behind the horizon.

"Those visions are not your only gift. It's only a matter of discovering the others and learning to control them. You are our only hope. You are the only one who can defeat Gabriel and restore peace and stability to this world."

I rolled my eyes. "You've got the wrong girl."

"If you ever want to find out who you truly are you are going to have to defeat him. If you don't…all will be lost."

Well when he put it like that it was kind of hard to say no. I mean, I didn't know this world, yet I couldn't say no to saving it. I just hope I didn't screw anything up in the process.


	7. Training

I sat in front of the fire that Anton had started. I stared at the flames as I thought about what I was going to have to do. It was dark outside now and the temperature had dropped to below freezing. Anton wrapped a fleece blanket around my shoulders.

"I can't do it," I said softly as he sat on the hardwood floor next to me. "I just can't."

"You can. I can teach you everything that you need to know. The visions that you have are not your only source of power. You come from one of the most powerful families in this world. There is nothing that you can't do," he said.

"What if I fail? What if I can't beat Gabriel?"

He thought about that for a moment. He knew it was a possibility that I would fail and he didn't try to tell me otherwise. "If you fail, I will be there to finish the job."

"No!" I screamed suddenly. I had no idea why I was objecting to him killing my long lost brother but I did. Something in me knew that if he went up against Gabriel he would get hurt. But why would I care if he got hurt? I barely knew him.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I don't know what came over me."

He smiled. "It's alright." He was leaning toward me and I hadn't known he'd been sitting so close. I leaned back into him and this time it was me who initiated the kiss. I kissed him softly but passionately. I had never felt like this before with anyone. I don't know why I was acting like this, but something inside of me told me that this was right so I just gave up and went with it. I gave myself over to my feelings and let my self-control slip right out the window.

He pulled away first, slightly breathless. "I think you should be getting to bed. We will start your training tomorrow."

I nodded. I stood up and started down the hall. "Good night," I whispered, knowing that he would hear.

I knew that I shouldn't be getting involved with anyone because I just knew that I would have a dream about them and they would end up dying. There was just no way to stop it. But I couldn't control myself when it came to Anton and it didn't matter how long I'd known him. It was only a matter of time before I would foresee his death.

* * *

"Rise and shine sleepy head!" Anton yelled as he barged into my room.

I shot up out of bed like I'd been shot. "What the hell?" I hollered. "It's six in the freaking morning!"

"I know. You're training is going to start this time every day."

"Bullsh—"

"Hey, no need to use that kind of language. Now get ready." He walked out without another word.

I sat there for a moment, still too shocked that I was up this early in the morning. Finally, I gave up and laid back down, pulling my pillow over my head and adding my blanket. I would not get up this early. It was ridiculous.

The blanket was suddenly pulled off of the bed. I shot up and lunged at Anton. He grabbed me in mid-air and tossed me over his shoulder. He then continued to walk out of the room and down the stairs.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? You cannot just treat me like this. I am a human being and I have rights dammit!" I screamed. He ignored me and threw me down on the sofa.

"Now, you agreed to this. So you are going to get up at this time every day and we are going to train every day and I don't want you to give me and lip."

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but you aren't my father so therefore you cannot tell me what do to. Yes, I agreed to training but that was before I knew you would be forcing me to get up at six o'clock in the flipping morning!" I had raised my voice to him but it was early and I was always grumpy before ten A.M.

"Lilith," he said, voice stern.

I sighed. "Alright, fine, you win! What do you want me to do?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and slumping on the couch.

"I want you to concentrate. We are going to try to access your visions."

"But I only see death in my visions," I protested.

"That's only what they've shown you up to this point. I think that if you concentrate hard enough you'll be able to see the future and not just death."

"If you say so," I murmured and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and tried to focus—which was a lot harder than it sounded. It was harder because all I wanted to do was kiss Anton and run my hands all over his smooth, rock hard chest.

_Stop it,_ I scolded myself. _I have a job to do and it does not include groping the hot vampire. Focus!_

I took another deep breath and pretended that Anton wasn't even in the same room let alone right next to me. It was hard but I eventually was able to focus.

I waited and nothing happened. I focused harder and still nothing. I opened my eyes and Anton was gone. In fact, I wasn't even in the tiny cabin anymore. I was in a large dark room, lit only by candles. There were no windows. I heard voices from down the long hall because the door was wide open.

"Have you found her yet?" A man was saying.

"No, Majesty. I have my best men out searching the Realm as we speak. It is only a matter of time before we find her," a second man explained.

"I need her found as soon as possible. And when you find her, kill her. I can't risk any loose ends. The eclipse is in three days, I need her out of my way before then. If you don't find her before the eclipse, I will have your head on a plate," threatened the first man.

"Yes, Majesty," said the second man as their footsteps passed by the door I was hiding behind.

"Anton!" I whispered loudly when I was sure they were out of earshot. "Anton!" The world around me fell away and I was suddenly in the cabin once again. I would have collapsed to the floor if Anton hadn't caught me.

"Whoa! What the hell did I just do?" I asked, scared. My breathing was ragged as I tried to calm myself.

"You teleported. What were you focusing on?" he asked.

"Nothing in particular. I was just trying to clear my mind and then I was in a room in a castle or something. I heard to men talking about finding a girl before the eclipse that's in three days."

Anton stiffened.

"What? What did I say?"

"They were talking about finding you, Lillith. Gabriel needs you out of the way before the eclipse because the eclipse is the only time his powers will be down and the only time we have to strike while he's powerless."

I pushed away from him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! You mean that you plan to teach me everything I need to know about my magic in three days?! And then you expect me to go after and kill the brother I never knew I even freaking had?"

"Yes," he said simply.

"Oh, well, then we better get to work."

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Let's."


	8. Frustration

"You've got it! Only a little more," Anton was saying, trying to encourage me. It wasn't working. It was only getting on my nerves and making me lose focus. The glass vase crashed to the floor. Why he insisted we start with glass objects was beyond me.

We'd moved on from teleporting to telekinesis, or put simply Anton was trying to get me to move things with my mind. It worked, when I concentrated. I'd only been able to move the glass vase about an inch or so at first but then I was able to hold it in the air for a few seconds before having to set it back down again. Then it got to the point where I was actually moving it toward me and then he had to go and ruin my focus by cheering me on. That's why the vase was now broken and I was now more frustrated than ever.

"Do you know how to shut up?" I asked, sitting down on the comfortable sofa. "I can't concentrate when you're talking."

"I'm sorry. It's just that you have come so far in just a few hours," he said.

I rolled my eyes and walked into the kitchen. I grabbed a granola bar from the cabinet and started to nibble on it. I hadn't had anything to eat since I'd been rudely awoken this morning and I was ravenous. A granola bar was hardly enough to sate my hunger but it was all that I could find.

"You seriously need to go shopping," I said.

"Hello? Vampire, remember? I don't really need food. I just really like granola bars," he said.

"Whatever. Can we stop for the day? I'm so exhausted."

He was shaking his head before I'd even finished speaking. "No, we need you ready in case of an attack. You have to be prepared at all times, Lillith. Now…try to move that glass from the end of the counter."

"Do you want that glass to get broken?" I asked.

"Just do it," he said.

"Okay, okay, no need to get cranky." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I put all my focus on the glass at the end of the hallway. Anton didn't exist; the cabin I was in didn't exist. The only thing that existed was the glass. It began to wobble a little before finally lifting into the air, only inches above the counter. Anton was silent through the entire thing and pretty soon it was starting to float to me. I felt a sense of relief when I finally held it in my hand.

Anton let out a sigh of relief. "Finally," he sighed.

I set the glass on the table. A throbbing had started in my head that quickly turned to a burning fire, the same burning pain I'd had when I'd have a vision of Greg's death. I fell to my knees without warning.

"Lily?" Anton said, alarmed.

"It hurts!" I screamed. I knew there was nothing he could do, yet I wanted him to make the pain go away. I wanted these visions to stop.

I saw a room. It looked like the room I'd teleported too only this one was bigger and had a gold throne at the front. All I could see was a dagger sticking out of my chest. My blood was on fire. The blade had been poisoned. I could feel my movements becoming limited as my life was slowly drained away. I couldn't breath. I was dying.

I took a huge breath and fell on the ground as I came back to reality and the vision faded. The fire in my head slowly dissipated and I lay there for a long time just taking deep breaths.

"What did you see?" Anton said concern plain in his voice.

I looked up into his brilliant emerald eyes. Tears started to fill my eyes and I couldn't stop them from spilling over. Anton didn't say a word. Instead he just lifted me in his arms and carried me upstairs where he tucked me away in bed and just held me while I cried.


	9. Finding Love

When I woke up, it was nighttime. Anton was still lying beside me just simply holding me in his arms. It felt good to just lay there in his cool embrace, like there was no other care in the world. But of course I knew that wasn't true. I had to face the fact that I was going to die. I'd seen my own death and I knew it was going to come true. My visions _always_ came true.

Anton sensed that I was awake. "Will you please tell me what you saw now?" he asked.

I hadn't told him earlier because it had scared me so bad that I couldn't stop crying. I took a deep breath before I spoke. "I saw my death," I said, my voice barely audible to my own ears. I knew he would hear.

He didn't say anything, only wrapped his arms tighter around me, holding me closer. "I won't let that happen," he murmured. He turned my face toward his and he kissed me ever so gently on the lips. Electricity shot through my body and I swear I saw fireworks behind my eyelids.

"How is it that only you can make me feel this way?" I whispered against his lips.

He smiled against my lips and moved down my jaw line and to my throat. My breath was coming in ragged gasps. Suddenly, the rational part of me took over and I pushed him away. He didn't fight me. I slid off the bed and stood by the window with my arms wrapped around myself.

"I'm sorry. I can't do this," I said.

"Why not? Why can't you just let yourself feel and go with it?" he asked, suddenly angry.

"Why are you mad?"

"Because…Never mind." Without another word he got up and left the room.

I couldn't let myself just feel what I wanted to feel when I was with him because—and though I would never admit it—I liked being with him a little too much and I wasn't supposed to be getting close to him or anyone for that matter. I knew that if I got close to him I would foresee his death—even if he was an immortal being and was very hard to kill—I didn't want him to die. I didn't want to see him die.

Reluctantly, I followed him out the bedroom door and down the stairs. I found him standing in the kitchen staring out through the sliding glass door. I knew that he'd heard me enter the room but he didn't turn.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I didn't mean—"

"One moment you're okay with me kissing you and the next you push me away and pretend that nothing ever happened. What is up with that?"

I sighed. "When I'm with you all I can do is _feel_. I'm afraid," I admitted.

"Of what?" he asked.

"Of falling for you because I don't want to lose you. If I get to close to you I might have a vision of you and I don't think I could handle losing another person that I care about."

He turned and sauntered slowly over to me. He took my hands in his and looked into my eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, whether you have a vision or not. I promise. I am falling in love with you, Lillith." He kissed me and this time I didn't fight it. I just let myself feel what I wanted to feel, screw the consequences. I was falling in love with him too and he knew it. I couldn't deny how I felt and it was pointless trying to. He'd said he wasn't going anywhere and I believed him. I only hoped that these visions would stop.


	10. The Beginning Of The End

A loud banging from downstairs woke me up in the morning. I'd thought it might have been Anton, but then thought better of it because Anton doesn't make that much noise. A glass shattered and I pulled on the black silk robe that Anton had given me and ran downstairs.

"Anton?!" I yelled.

"Lillith, get back upstairs!" he hollered from the kitchen—at least I think he was in the kitchen.

Of course, being the person that I am, I didn't listen to him like I probably should have. Instead, I ran the rest of the way downstairs and peeked around the corner into the kitchen. Anton was running my way. He grabbed my arm as he ran by, pulling me toward the staircase. I nearly fell flat on my ass.

"Why don't women ever listen?" he mumbled loud enough for me to hear though I was pretty sure that he was talking to himself.

"What the hell is going on?" I demanded as he dragged me into the bedroom.

"Gabriel's men are attacking. I have to get you out of here," he said and threw the closet door open.

"So we're hiding me in the closet?" I said.

He shook his head. "No, we're going back to the mortal realm through the closet." He still had a hold on my wrist. He pulled me into the closet and suddenly I was standing in my bedroom.

I yanked my wrist free and stormed out of the room and down the hall. Anton followed me.

"Why don't you just go back to Wonderland or whatever you call your little world? I'm done," I said and nearly ran downstairs. I was lucky Greg wasn't home because then I would have to explain Anton and that would not go over well.

"You have to go back too," he said.

I whirled around to tell him to forget it and found that he was only inches away. I nearly fell and his strong arms caught me. I gazed into his green eyes for just a moment before I jerked myself free of his grip. He let go easily enough.

"What part of 'I'm done' didn't you get? I am not going back to that place and you're crazy if you think you can make me."

"I know you're scared, but you don't have to be. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

I stalked off toward the kitchen (I was suddenly very thirsty. Maybe it was because being around Anton made me nervous) and pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge. When I closed the refrigerator door I saw a note on it that wasn't there before and it wasn't in Greg's handwriting either.

It read:

_Lillith,_

_ I have your brother and will be_

_ awaiting your return to the_

_ Nether Realm._

_ Yours truly,_

_ Gabriel._

_ P.S. come alone._

Anton grabbed the note out of my hands before I had a chance to say anything. He crumbled the note up and took off back upstairs. I followed him into my room. He was headed for my closet, the portal back to the Nether Realm.

"What are you doing?" I yelled.

"I'm going back and I'm going to kill the son of a bitch myself if it's the last thing I do."

"I thought I was the one who had to kill him to restore peace and harmony and whatever else to your home?"

"You aren't ready to fight him." without another word he closed the closet door. I opened it back up in hopes that he would still be there but he was already gone. All that was there were my clothes hanging from their hangers. I didn't know how to get back.

I threw myself on my bed and screamed into my pillow. Anton had promised me that he wasn't going to leave me and yet he had. From what I knew of Gabriel, Anton wouldn't stand a chance against the sorcerer. But I was a sorceress. I was Gabriel's sister; his blood ran through my veins. I could be a great sorceress if I put my mind to it. So if Anton could get back than why couldn't I?

Because I didn't know how to get back. That's why.

"What good is being a sorceress if I can't even use my powers to get where I want to go?!" I yelled to the sky. Obviously, no one answered but I did get an idea. I'd teleported once; why couldn't I do it again?

I closed my eyes and focused all my energy on imagining the only room I'd ever been in at Gabriel's palace. It didn't take me long to envision the windowless room and the cold, stone walls. I concentrated as best I could and when I opened my eyes, I was there. I'd done it.

I slowly opened the door and poked my head into the hallway. I looked both ways and didn't know which way to go. I decided to go right and quickly and quietly ran down the long corridor. I had absolutely no idea where I was going but I was kind of hoping that I would run into someone who would take me to Gabriel and Anton. I rounded the corner and ran into a very large man. I fell flat on my butt.

"Who are you?" he asked in a deep voice.

I thought about lying to him but he would find out the truth eventually. "I'm Lillith, Gabriel's long lost sister."

His eyes widened and he bent down and grabbed my arm.

"Hey! Watch it buddy!" I yelled. He ignored me practically dragged me down the hall. He came to a halt at the end in front of a larger door. He pushed it continued to drag me inside.

"What is the meaning of the interruption?!" a tall, thin man at the front of the room screamed.

"I'm sorry, Majesty. It's just that I've brought the girl."

I looked around the room and saw Anton lying on the floor at Gabriel's feet; he looked like he was still breathing. Next to him was Greg and he wasn't breathing.

"Good, now get out," Gabriel ordered the guard. The tall man through me to the ground and left without a word.

I quickly crawled to Anton's side. He was bloodied up pretty badly.

"Let him go," I said to Gabriel but was sill looking at Anton. "You don't want him."

"Oh, but I do. He didn't tell you did he?" Gabriel asked.

"Tell me what?" I said.

"This realm is divided between two kingdoms. Mine…and his. He's the vampire prince of this place. Our clans have been at war with each other for centuries trying to gain control over the entire Nether Realm."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"You were going to be the one who brought the clans together and end the feud. But the feud cant end until one of the clans is wiped out completely."

"That's why you want me dead," I said as the realization hit me hard.

"Yes," he said and I looked up at him just in time to see a large knife in his hands. I barely rolled away as he struck. The blade sliced my arm and my whole arm started to burn. It was then that I knew that it was poisoned. I got up and started for the door before I remembered Anton. I couldn't just leave him to die.

I turned to face Gabriel. He was slowly walking toward me but my focus was on the blade. I let the world fall away from me as I forced the blade from his hand with my mind. It flew toward me. I held out a hand to catch it but at the last second the blade flipped and plunged deep into my heart. The poison worked quickly and paralyzed me. I fell to the ground. I could barely breath.

This was not going well. It was not going well at all.


	11. The End

"You can't win, little sister. That's the most potent poison in the realm. It's strong enough to kill anything and everything," Gabriel taunted

I gasped for breath as the slow-acting poison spread from my heart to the rest of my body. I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything to rid myself of the pain. I couldn't even scream.

"Lillith?" Anton said. I gasped at the sound of my name being called. Anton was okay. "You bastard!" Anton screamed in horror. He scooped me up in his arms and before he'd taken two steps Gabriel grabbed him and threw him to the ground. I flew out of his arms and rolled across the floor. My wound started to bleed even more.

They began to fight. I couldn't see clearly. The poison was blurring my vision. I heard someone being slammed against the ground and I heard a scream before all went silent. I held my breath, terrified that Gabriel was going to finish what he'd started.

"Lilly," Anton sighed as he sank to his knees beside me. I felt so relieved that he was still alive. He took me in his arms and just sat there. I couldn't move to my arm to wipe the tears that were beginning to fall from his eyes.

"I'm so sorry. Forgive me," he whispered and pushed my hair back, exposing my throat. "I love you." I had a moment to realize what he was about to do before I felt a sharp pain in my neck as his fangs sank deep into my skin.

"NO!" I tried to shriek but it was already too late. I could feel the fire start to slowly fade from my veins. I knew what would happen if he sucked out all the poison from my system.

He would die and I couldn't let that happen. But I was helpless to do anything right now. He wasn't only sucking out the poison but he was sucking out my blood too. And if he took too much blood, I would die too.

Darkness started to cloud the edges of my vision. He pulled away. I felt him kiss me gently on the forehead and then he laid me on the ground. He lay next to me, his arms still resting around my waist.

"I couldn't let you die," he whispered.

"I…love…you," I breathed.

"And I love you." His voice cracked.

"Please don't leave me," I said as tears of my own started to run down my face. He didn't reply. I laid there and cried until darkness consumed me.

* * *

I opened my eyes. There was a large window on the west wall, but the drapes were pulled tightly shut. Candles lit up the room and the door was cracked.

"Who are you?" I croaked as my eyes came to rest upon a man that I had never seen before. He'd been sitting in a small rocking chair in the corner of the room, in the shadows.

"My name is Joel. I'm Anton's younger brother," he said. He stepped into the light of a small candle and I could see the same emerald green eyes that Anton had had. My hand automatically reached up to feel the bandage that was now covering the bite marks that Anton had made to suck the poison out of my body.

"So he's really gone," I said. It wasn't a question.

Joel nodded once.

I felt the tears sting my eyes but I blinked them back. "I want to go home."

"You are home. You're the new Empress since Gabriel is dead. My people want to end the feud now that he is dead. We thank you for killing Gabriel and we are grateful to you. No more blood has to be shed."

"I didn't kill him. Anton did," I said.

"No worries, we are offering the entire Nether Realm to you," he said.

I shook my head slowly. "I don't want it. I just want to go home to the mortal realm. That's all."

"Get some rest," he said before leaving without another word.

I groaned and rolled over slowly. I was going to get home one way or another and neither Joel nor anyone else for that matter was going to stand in my way.

I pushed the blanket off me and slowly stood up. I was still weak from the poison and losing so much blood but I made it to the closet. I put my hand on the door knob and closed my eyes. I imagined myself back in my room in the mortal realm, just lying on my bed pretending that none of this ever happened.

I took a deep breath, opened my eyes, and turned the door knob. I was half expecting to see an empty closet when I opened the door but instead I saw my bedroom. The sun was shining through the window, making the walls an orange color. I stepped through and closed the door. I closed the door and hoped that no one would follow me because I wouldn't be going back anytime soon, if ever. I pushed my dresser in front of my closet door just in case.

I headed downstairs and sat on the couch. Not five seconds had gone by before there was a knock at the front door. I sighed and got up to answer it. I opened the door and there stood the one person I'd never thought to see again.

"Anton," I gasped. "I thought you were dead."

He smiled and shook his head. "No."

I grabbed his shirt and pulled him toward me and smashed my lips against his. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close.

"I missed you so much," he said. "I thought you weren't going to make it."

"But you saved me. I love you."

"I love you, too."

He was here. This wasn't a dream. He was mine and would be forever.

"If you ever scare me like that again, I swear—" I never got to finish my sentence because his lips cut me off and I didn't mind in the least.


	12. Author's Note

Chapter 11 is the last chapter of Lost in Wonderland. I know that you are probably a little bit disappointed with how short it is but let me explain. I am still trying to figure out how to make my stories longer without my readers getting bored with it midway through. Writing a great story isn't as easy as it sounds but its fun to do. I just don't want to lose any readers that I gain. I love the feedback that ya'll give me whether it's telling me how great I'm doing or giving me constructive criticism. But trust me I am working on it

Thank ya'll so much for the reviews. I really appreciate it.

--RockerBabe18


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